Liverpool versus Manchester City Preview: Can Guardiola break the Anfield Deadlock?
By Swayam Ghosh
Manchester City, who has created a blistering rampage in the Premier League since their last defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, will be traveling to Anfield to face Liverpool in a mouth-watering clash come Sunday. They will be without Kevin de Bruyne, who is out with a hamstring injury, and Sergio Aguero, still recovering from Covid-19. Pep Guardiola and his team would be looking forward to adding another feather in their cap as they enjoy their thirteen-game undefeated run.
LIVERPOOL
More from Game preview
- Penalty miss from Haaland and later scored, late equalizer from Sheffield and final moment from Rodri extend City’s perfect start in the Premier League
- Manchester City vs Manchester United FA Cup Final: Predicted Lineup for City
- Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion: Predicted Lineups
- Manchester City vs. Real Madrid: Predicted lineup for Manchester City
- Manchester City vs. Real Madrid: The 3 Keys to Victory
Liverpool continues to struggle as they see themselves pushed down to fourth place on the table, this Thursday. Guardiola would definitely look for a win as Klopp and his boys run low on morale after losing their unbeaten run at home to Burnley. Anfield no longer stands a fortress, unquenchable as Liverpool consecutively lost to bottom-half teams, Burnley and Brighton. With Virgil van Dijk and Matip out with an ankle ligament injury for the rest of this season, the Reds have had themselves two deadline day arrivals. In case Fabinho fails to recover from his injury before Sunday, Klopp might have to put his faith in Ozan Kabak or Ben Davies. When asked about Diogo Jota, he said,
"“Did I say that before the game? It hasn’t changed, Diogo, couple of weeks? Two, three, four?”."
Although Sadio Mane didn’t train with the team, his featuring in the starting lineup this Thursday remains a possibility.
MANCHESTER CITY
Pep Guardiola on the other hand has quite comfortably managed without his two eminent players, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero. With an experimental back three over the last few weeks, City has been able to fend off their opponents from finding the back of the net. They have conceded two goals in their last 13 games in the Premier League. John Stones, Reuben Dias, and Joao Cancelo have earned their space in the back with consecutively reliable performances.
dark. Next. Burnley-Man City: Match Review
Over the last two seasons, City and Liverpool have convincingly established themselves as the immediate/direct contenders in the title race, with an increase in their rivalry. The Reds stand victorious in their last 17 home league matches with City, suffering their last defeat in 2013. Although this year paints a different picture from what we saw last season, a win against Liverpool will still be imperative. City will be able to strengthen their position on the top of the league, with their direct city rivals breathing down their neck with a string of difficult fixtures coming thick and fast in the next couple of weeks.